Co-designing an e-health tutorial for older adults

TitleCo-designing an e-health tutorial for older adults
Publication TypeConference Papers
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsXie B, Tom Yeh, Walsh G, Watkins I, Huang M
Conference NameProceedings of the 2012 iConference
Date Published2012///
PublisherACM
Conference LocationNew York, NY, USA
ISBN Number978-1-4503-0782-6
Keywordse-health literacy, health information seeking, integrated e-tutorial, participatory design
Abstract

Older adults' ability to access and use electronic health information is generally low, requiring innovative approaches for improvement. An integrated e-tutorial overlays instructions onto Websites. The literature suggests integrated e-tutorials are more effective than paper or video-based tutorials for younger people, but little is known about their effectiveness for older adults. This study explores the applicability of an integrated e-health tutorial for older adults. An integrated e-tutorial, the Online Tutorial Overlay Presenter (OnTOP), added an instructional overlay to the NIHSeniorHealth.gov Website. Overlay features were examined in seven participatory design sessions with seven older adults. Participatory design techniques were used to elicit participants' preferences for tutorial features. Three themes emerged: 1) using contextual cues; 2) tailoring to the learner's literacy level; and 3) enhancing interfaces with multimedia cues. These findings improved the design features of OnTOP. They also generated empirical evidence about the effects of multimedia learning among older adults.

URLhttp://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2132176.2132207
DOI10.1145/2132176.2132207